How to Set Up a Free Google Workspace Shared Inbox for Freelancers (Without Sharing Passwords)

If you need a contractor or virtual assistant to manage emails sent to invoices@ or support@yourdomain.com.au, you shouldn’t have to fork out for another paid Google Workspace licence—nor should you ever share an account password.

This guide walks you through setting up a completely free, secure shared inbox using Cloud Identity Free and Google Groups, including how to fix the hidden default setting that silently bounces client emails.

Step 1: Create the Google Group

Setting up a group gives your team a central address to receive external mail.

• Log in to the Google Admin console at admin.google.com.
• From the left-hand menu, click Directory > Groups, then click Create group.
• Enter a clear name (e.g., Invoices Inbox) and assign the address clients will use (e.g., invoices@yourdomain.com.au).
• Set your email as the Group Owner and click Next.

Step 2: Fix the Default Email Bounce Setting

By default, Google Workspace blocks external senders from emailing new groups. If you skip this step, customer emails will bounce immediately.

• In the Access settings table, locate the ‘Who can post’ row and tick the ‘External’ box.
• Untick ‘Externa’l next to ‘Who can contact group owners’.
• Under ‘Who can view conversations’, select ‘Group members’ to restrict public visibility.
• Change Who can join to ‘Only invited users’.
• Click Create Group.
• Click Create Group again.

Step 3: Turn the Group into a Collaborative Inbox

• Open a new browser tab and head to groups.google.com.
• Click on the group you just created, then select Group settings from the left-hand menu.
• Under Enable additional Google Groups features, turn on ‘Collaborative Inbox’.
• Enable ‘Shared labels’ to help classify incoming requests.

Step 4: Configure Reply Rules and Auto-Replies

• Ensure outgoing messages come from the group address rather than a contractor’s personal account.
• Under Who can reply privately to authors, select ‘Group managers’.
• Under Who can post as group, select ‘Group Members’.
• Set Default sender to ‘Group address’.
• Turn on Enable auto-reply to non-members outside the organisation and enter a brief response (e.g., “Thanks for contacting us—we’ve received your email and will reply shortly.”).
• Under Post replies to, select ‘The author of the message only’.
• Click Save changes.

Defaulting the sender to the group address ensures clients see a consistent invoices@yourdomain.com.au identity. Additionally, replies stay within the group environment, and there’s no personal conversations.

Step 5: Test the Setup

Send a test email from an email address outside your business domain to the group email you just set up, e.g. invoices@yourdomain.com.au.

Confirm that your personal address receives the automated acknowledgement reply.

Go back to groups.google.com in your business domain, open the conversation, and send a reply.

Check your personal inbox to confirm the reply arrived from invoices@yourdomain.com.au rather than your business email address.

Step 6: Set up the Free Freelancer Account

Give contractors their own secure login to your organisation without paying for a full Workspace seat.

Step 1 – set up Cloud Identify Free subscription

• In admin.google.com, navigate to Billing > Subscriptions > Buy or Upgrade.
• Search for Cloud Identity Free using CTRL + F (or CMD + F on Mac).
• Click Explore, and complete the checkout for $0.
• Click Review License Settings
• Click Automatic Licensing and change it to Off.
• Click Save. This prevents Google from auto-assigning paid licences to new users.

Step 2 – set up the freelancer account

• Go to Directory > Users
• Click Add new user, and enter your freelancer’s details.
• Either send the details to their external address, or copy the password to send to them separately.

Step 3 – add them to the group

• Open their new user profile.
• Click on the Groups tab.
• Click Add user to groups.
• Search for the group and click the name.
• Click Add

And that’s it – you’re done!

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